How many of you are on the Twitter? At first I didn’t really get it – I was thinking ‘why wouldn’t I just update my status on Facebook?’ I think I am figuring it out now, it is really quick, I find there is less distraction than on Facebook so it is a great place for sharing content and news. I found out about the Boston bombings on Twitter first.
Anyway, I had a question from my friend Magnus (@BlueCrease) – no that is not him in the picture on the right 🙂 – about cool down routines following a session on the ice vs a workout in the gym. The key for me when a player is coming off the ice after a game or practice is restoration. The video below takes you through a post-ice cool down for goalies. I also think this is an appropriate time to foam roll and I am fine with a 10-minute flush ride, although I do not think it is crucial.
If your facility has hot/cold tubs (probably not many of you) then I do think contrast baths have good value, but again if you are not playing varsity or pro, you probably do not have access to hot/cold tubs. Would be a good topic for another post though – you can actually do it using a bathtub and a garbage can – sounds like fun eh?
So here is my post-ice cool down strategy…
- flush ride (if you wish) for 10-minutes, very light
- foam roll or other myofascial release technique
- restorative stretches
Cool Down For Goalies After An Off-Ice Workout
To me, the big difference here is that I am okay with goalies working on their mobility after they workout with some more aggressive stretching like the Functional Range Conditioning stuff I covered a few weeks ago. It is also a time that we work on specific ‘injury prevention’ exercises for a given player.
Let’s say for example a goalie tweaked his groin 1-2 times during the season. They are not injured at the current time, but some imbalances which probably contributed to the ‘tweaks’ were identified on assessment, this is a time that I would give them more specific attention.
I hope that helps you nail down your cool down routines – please let me know what other questions you have.
Cheers,
Maria
PS – if you are on the Twitter – give me a follow @GoalieTraining
PPS – sorry about the kinda creepy photo – this is what came up where I searched stretching – I thought it was funny, but it gets creepy the more I look at it 🙂